West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-09-08
A CLEVER WOMAN.
BY EVELYN THORPE.

mo, you have no ambition. cried the
girl; 'but have"
Her splendid eyes flashed upon the
young fellow, and in dull. underlined
way, he felt clumsy and loutish. and
altogether inadequate TO the companion
ship of this radiant creature.
'AmbitionG" he repeated. vaguely.
hillary swung herself on the gate with
an impatience which perhaps accorded
little with the announcement she had
been making of high and brilliant social
aims for hersel'.
Eyes, amb'ionl Did you ever tbinl,
you would like TO be anything more or
better than you are now2 And what are
your Ju a falm handpi
She fiura the words out with mac
niicent contempt.
Its Wis: your father and brother was
Hilary, returned Oliver, after a little
space: Hes'!di. gravely, without accent
of offense
Ihats no reason why everyone should
go on being the same thing to everlast-
ing," announced Hilary, not very clearly,
but with decision and passion.
=. Oliver felt himself defenseless before
this worldly wisdom. This had always
beenitheir attitude. Her nimbleness of
wit left his slowness and heaviness NJ a
loss. There were things he would have
liked to say-things which he felt vague
ly, which haunted him with a tortuTino
sense that his reasons were best but that
he should never succeed in explaining
them so that Hilary would heed or
even listen. He had not so much as the
resource of a sigh whereby a more NAL
leable organism relieves the tension of
worldless discomfort. He stood. in an
pearance bulky, stolid young rustic
chewing without thought upon the lon9
straw he had between his teeth: and
the bright, slight, vivid girl by his side
continued TO swing her little body bacl,
and forth on the white gate from which
the paint was chipping and forgot his
existence.
1t was a night fair and warm. and
= redolent with sweet, wholesome odors
from the great red barn, stocked with
gram. There was glory Of blue moon
ngnt abroad and south wind rustled
the elms. 1t was night full of poetry
-Iuli OF the mysterious voices of nature.
The young fellow, through his heavy
corporeal envelope, thrilled with visions
resolves, yearnings he could not define or
understand, of which he was scarce con
scious. The girl, her spirited beauty
Rlorihed by the rare light that shone
upon her face, her eyes looking widely
out into the sleeping fields, dreamed Of
city streets and the life Of thropoipg
crowds and the delights of delicate dress,
Finally, after p silence neither had
measured for different reasons. Oliver
stirred slowly.
~ suppose must be goin'," he said
oh, must your
Hilary came back violently from her
Teverie and gave him an absent glance.
But Immediately, as he was turning away
without other words she added
"Come again when you can" and ac-
companied the admonition with a smile
whose actual enchantment she could not
have helped had she tried.
Sheiooked after his broad, tall figure
going down the moOnlit road.
Poor Oliyerl He'sa frst-rato fellow, "
she thought
And then she went back 20 the castles
she was building, crystal clear and
iridescent with hundred lights. in the
silence Of the sweet, serene midsummer
night
The shops we're opening, the factory
girls were trooping to their work, and
INC Breag city was awakiuQ with myriad
tongues to its busy day, when YOUNG
man (who, somehow, had the look of
middle age about him, too) stopped at
an address which he had In his pocket
II might have been there some time. for
The bit Of paper on which it was written
was worn and discolorcd at the folds
a tall ard imposing parsonage, with n
co. anne 81 conspicuous stylishness and
an unimpeachable coiHure. looked at
him and came forward n little.
She seemed TO be the only woman i'm
the large, deep store, down the length Of
which gtretched broad white counters
laden with feathers, hats, flowers, boxes
OF no0ot. Some young men, clerks.
were lo' nging about in various attitudes
OF aneuo, awaiting the beginning of
the days hbors
Lester, did you say7" repeated the
IMPOSING person with the smooth and ef.
fective h'ir 'Miss Hilary Lester3 7
couldn't tell You, really. She has not
been here in mg time. We employ onlv
. few girls up stairs on trimmed sample
hats
She had an air Of having dismissed the
rural al-looking newcomer. One OF two
q the 20 niger clerks smiled Perhaps